GirlsBoys
by Radar-rox
Summary: Oneshot mild slash, Howard and Vince talk about past girlfriends and other stuff... argh, just read it ok, I'm too tired to write a proper summary!


**I.. um… er… look, shut up, ok?! It was a momentary lapse, I'll be good from now on, really! (runs off to nibble chocolate in a corner)**

Vince nibbled at the edge or his chocolate biscuit, watching a programme about 'Teen Taboos' or something on the telly, while Howard munched on multiple Rich Teas as he stared at a magazine.

'Howard?' asked Vince tentatively, 'Would you ever kiss another bloke?'

'What?!' As far as Howard was concerned, the question had come out of nowhere. Vince indicated the telly. 'Oh right, um..' he thought about how he was going to answer. Generally, the answer would be 'no', he wouldn't kiss another bloke. But recently he'd been having thoughts…well, perhaps the thoughts hadn't been recently, he'd just begun to notice them recently. Thoughts about another bloke, a friend. Who was sitting next to him awaiting an answer at this very moment. Oh yes, there was _one _bloke he'd kiss… and more.

'No.' He finally said. 'No, don't think I would. You?'

'Yeah, I would' he said instantly.

'Really?' asked Howard – he knew Vince was a liberal guy, but he was surprised he didn't even have to think about it before he answered. 'I thought you liked girls?'

'I do, I just like boys too.'

Howard's heart skipped a little. He tried to keep sounding casual. 'I've never seen you with guys.'

'There aren't many round here that I like' he shrugged. 'So I usually stick with girls'

'What about girls then? You got anyone on the go?'

'Nah, not really. Met a nice girl in a club the other night, but nothing serious. You?'

'Come on Vince, you know my luck with women. I haven't… y'know.. for months now.' He said grumpily. True, he had all these feelings for Vince, but he was still a 'hot-blooded male' as they say, and he still had urges. Urges that no amount of confusing fantasies could seem to destroy.

'Why didn't you say something, I coulda found you someone!'

'I don't want you to find me someone!' cried Howard, getting up suddenly and walking to the kitchen.

'Woah, woah, what's this, I was just trying to help or something!' said Vince, confused about why his best friend suddenly seemed so angry with him.

Howard turned, and was immediately faced with Vince's blue, innocent eyes. 'What's up?' They asked.

'It's always like this, someone feels sorry for poor, pathetic Howard, and offers to find me someone, or says they know this girl whose just broken up with her boyfriend or something, it's always the same.' He sighed. He hadn't mean for all this to come out, but while they were on the subject, he might as well finish. 'You know Vince, I've only ever had one girlfriend that wasn't a setup? I even lost my virginity to a mate's Belgian cousin.'

Vince sniggered. 'Really?'

'Oh, and I suppose your first time was perfect was it?' he snapped back. He wasn't that angry at Vince, he.. he didn't know what he was. Confused, as usual.

'Oh god no.' Vince laughed. 'It was a disaster, we were 17 and she was really gorgeous so I was nervous as anything, and I kept mucking up putting the condom on, it was awful.' He shook his head at the memory, then looked up at Howard again, seemingly with a hint of suggestion in his eyes. 'I've got a lot better since then though.'

'Riiiight..' said Howard, unsure or where this was going, but Vince made no further comment and instead sat back on the sofa.

'You've really only had one girlfriend that wasn't a setup?'

'Yes.' Said Howard, who'd much rather be discussing other things. Like how Vince might try and convince him that kissing guys was actually a good thing…

'What was she like?' asked Vince, sticking his tongue out of the corner of his mouth, and adorable habit he had.

Howard took an unexpected trip down nostalgia lane. 'Ah, she was…

'What did she look like?' asked Vince, rephrasing what he'd originally meant. He did envy Howard for being able to go straight to someone's personality when asked what they were like – Vince's world was so full of bright colours and visual melodies that he immediately thought that people were asking him what someone looked like. In truth, that's what usually came to mind about most things – what they look like.

Not Howard though, for some reason. Of course, the guy was a mess – moustache, what was he thinking? But Vince saw past that, which he couldn't usually do, not straight away anyway. That was why he was friends with Howard, all of his other friends were.. well, basically, cool, which Howard certainly wasn't. Naboo and Bollo were cool, even if some people might think that being a shaman or a gorilla was a bit weird, they'd still agree that it was probably cool, but it wasn't like that with Howard, he was everything that wasn't cool, moustache, thin hair, jazz. But somehow, Vince still liked him. Howard was nice. He was clever, cleverer than Vince anyway, and he managed to look after Vince – not everyone would know that the best remedy for a hungover electro poof was melted ice cream.

'She.. actually, I think I've got a picture somewhere.' He said, wandering into his room and leaving Vince to turn over the telly to _Buffy_.

What was happening, Howard wondered as he rummaged through old shoeboxes looking for a picture that he wasn't even sure still existed. Perhaps he was imagining it, but Vince had a strange look in his eye when they were talking just now, like he wanted something. But it couldn't be what Howard thought it was, could it? _No, don't be stupid_ he told himself. _He was probably thinking about a new electro album or something_.

He finally caught sight of the photo he was after – it was a few years old, but something about it suddenly struck him. Nervous, he took it back into the living room.

'Um.. here' he said, shoving it in Vince's direction and turning to make some tea. _Please don't be able to see it too_ he thought. But there was a lingering part of him that wondered what would happen if Vince _did_ see it… would it be like he hoped? Or would he just tell him to get stuffed?

Vince looked down at the picture, and was about so say 'she's pretty' when he realised something. The girl in the picture wore glasses, but also had dark, layered hair, blue eyes, pointy features.. _this is me…_he thought. _What.. _No, it couldn't be what he thought, Howard wouldn't have even met Vince when this was taken. What did it mean then?

'Hey Howard, this is like a girl version of me!' he said, trying to keep his nervous voice light.

Howard jerked, dropping the spoon into the sugar. 'What? Um.. no, come on Vince, it isn't, Claire's got.. glasses?'

Vince looked at him. 'Stay here.' He said, before hurrying into his own room.

_That's it_ thought Howard, _I've blown it, it's over, he'd realised and freaked out. I can't stay here if he knows, it'll be awful, I'll have to run away… I wonder what Greenland's like this time of year?_

But to his surprise, Vince returned, clutching a photo of his own this time, even older than Howard's was.

It was of a boy, about ten Howard would guess. Wearing glasses. It was Vince, there was no mistaking that, he'd know what face anywhere, glasses or no glasses, he could be wearing a paper bag over his head and Howard would probably still recognise him.

'I had 'em when I was younger' Vince explained. 'My eyes weren't quite right, and I had to have them to fix 'em. Other kids weren't too impressed though,' he told the floor. 'I guess that's when I started putting so much effort into looking good, so people would like me.'

He looked back up at Howard, only to be met immediately with the sensation of having a moustache pressed up against his upper lip.

Lips against his own.

Howard's lips.

Kissing him.

He kissed back eagerly, until they broke apart.

'I thought you said you wouldn't kiss a guy?' said Vince.

'You're not 'a guy' Vince,-'

'What am I then, your Nan?'

'No, it's- you're _you_. It's different. You're the only- I like girls!' Howard tried to reason.

'Sure' smiled Vince, kissing him again. He didn't care if Howard still insisted he liked girls. Here he was, kissing a bloke, a very effeminate one may it be said, but a bloke all the same.

Here he was, kissing Vince. And that was all that mattered for now.

**Please review my lovelies! (and please remember that pretty much all of this was written late at night, so try and ignore any mistakes and pity a poor exhausted student!)**


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